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Cafe furniture can cater for snack attacks

It's a busy, time-poor world out there, so depending on the types of food you sell, it might be worth choosing cafe furniture that allows customers to snack and go, without feeling compelled to stay in your premises a moment longer than is absolutely necessary.

This might sound strange - usually you're trying to get customers to leave when they're done, whereas they want to stay and relax in your comfortable armchairs and sofas, and sip the last of their coffee.

But there's a healthy (in some cases unhealthy) appetite for quick snacks out there, and that means you have a great opportunity to choose cafe furniture that encourages a shorter stay, without customers feeling as though you are not fully serving their needs.

Of course, many restaurants attempt to service this snack-and-go need with just a small area of their premises, for example a row of stools at a window-side counter, while the rest of the space is taken up by conventional restaurant furniture in traditional table layouts.

Striking the right balance between the two is the important thing - so make sure you have enough places to perch, without making your seated diners feel out of place.

How do you know if it's worth putting more of a focus on to your snack offering? Well, it's likely you have an idea already, but it's always good to look at the figures that underpin any decisions you make.

According to Nielsen, the global snack market grew by 2% in 2013-14, and Europe is the largest snack market in the world, even outperforming North America ($167bn to $124bn).

Confectionery is the biggest snack market in Europe, and you might not expect customers to remain on site and take a seat to simply eat a bar of chocolate; however, the fastest growing categories include some products that might be more likely to keep people in your premises for a little longer, allowing you to sell them a drink or other related items too.

In Europe in 2013-14, sales of dips and spreads as snacks - such as hummus and salsa - rose 6.8%, proving the diversity of foods that are finding favour with people on the go, and also as quick treats to grab from the fridge at home.